


The Best Reason To Live

by SilverStarlet



Category: James Bond (Craig movies)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-28
Updated: 2015-09-28
Packaged: 2018-04-23 19:57:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4890097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverStarlet/pseuds/SilverStarlet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Trigger Warnings: Depression. </p><p>Q is having a hard time of it and he needs a helping hand. As we all do from time to time. </p><p>Friendships are a beautiful thing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Best Reason To Live

Q had never really seen the point of taking a holiday from his role at MI6. Every time he had taken a day off was because he was literally bedridden. He had always somehow managed to work from home, even then. It was full-time job being the genius Quartermaster that he was. He worked himself into the ground and somehow always managed to work himself some more. It was only a matter of time before his body or mind gave up the ghost completely.

Unluckily, it happened to be both.

For a few weeks Q had been feeling more depressed than would normally be associated with the stresses and strains of the job. He didn’t seem to find the energy anymore to turn his laptop on when he finally peeled himself away from MI6 in the evening and just fell asleep on the couch every night until he had to get up for work the next morning. Showers seemed pointless, changing clothes even more so and it wasn’t long until someone twigged that something just wasn’t right with the Quartermaster.

* * *

 

 

“Are you okay?” Tanner slid down the wall and joined Q who was slumped against it, almost in tears after a mission had taken a slight wrong turn. Nothing major. No deaths. In other words, something he could normally deal with. Q looked startled at his best friend. No-one had asked him that in a while. Months?

Q raised a finger to Tanner’s lips and allowed himself to think for a moment. Had he eaten today? No. Did he sleep last night? Yes, but it was in snatches in between nightmares. Had he showered or changed his clothes? Unfortunately not as the tea stains told him. Was he happy? Was he even remotely willing to stay alive for another day?

“No.” Q said shakily. Painfully honest. He’d sworn to Tanner one night when they thought Bond was dead that they would always be honest with each other. He regretted that promise right now. The look in Bill’s eyes was unbearable.

“I know.” Tanner placed a firm hand on Q’s shoulder and allowed the younger man to sob against him, tearlessly.  He screamed a few times barely managing to muffle himself against Tanner’s soft jumper and strong frame. He stopped dead in his tracks when he felt the trickle of what appeared to be tears on his forehead. Q gasped when he saw Tanner crying, his heart was overwhelmed with… affection. Love. This was his best friend and he was crying because he was worried about _him._ It was unfamiliar but awe inspiring. He’d never felt so protected in all his life.

* * *

 

 

The next few weeks were full of recuperation. Forced to take time off work, Q had no choice but to give in to daily life without his job. Tanner helped immensely. There was no end to the way the man cared for him. From physically bathing and feeding him to helping him pick out clothes for the day and helping him shop. He was there for Q in a way he didn’t realise he needed until now.

“Is this abnormal?” Q asked one day whilst playing with a rubber duck in his bath. He looked over at Tanner who couldn’t help but laugh.

“A grown man playing with a toy duck? Yes, it is abnormal. But then again, we work for MI6. Our lives were never destined to be normal.” Tanner stooped down to pour water over Q’s hair from a jug. Tanner was right, MI6 agents were never meant to have normal lives. Maybe a little loving care from a friend wasn’t so abnormal in the run of things. He smiled widely at Bill. It must’ve been the first time since he’d taken time off because he heard the older man gasp.

“God, you’re beautiful when you do that.” He said. It wasn’t sarcastic, it wasn’t lusty. It was just pure, unadulterated joy at seeing Q smile. Q splashed at Bill.

“Don’t say shit like that,” He joked. “People already think we’re a couple!” They laughed heartily.

 

 

 

 


End file.
